A chromacity diagram depicts the multiplicity of wavelengths within the color spectrum that are visible to the human eye. The color properties of these wavelengths include: hue (a particular gradation of color), saturation (vividness or intensity of the hue), and brightness (the hue's range from dimness to resplendence). A specific color may be correlated to one wavelength. However, there are a multiple combination of wavelengths that can produce the same color.
The richness of the images shown on a display is limited by the range of colors the display may emit. Within the chromacity diagram exists the range of colors that a display may emit. Cartesian coordinates may be used within the chromacity diagram to determine if a specific color can be emitted on a specific display. Typically, a specific color shown on a display is a combination of the wavelengths of the three primary colors (red, blue, and green). Color gamut refers to the range of color wavelengths that are viewable on a specific display under a specific ambient light. A particular color gamut may correspond to a well-lit environment, whereby another color gamut may correspond to a dimly-lit environment.
Ambient light data at the display is a significant factor in viewing an accurate rendition of an image on a display. For example, the color in a digital picture may appear to be blue and light grey, when viewed on a mobile phone display in a well-lit environment. However, the same colors may appear to be black and white, if viewed on the same mobile phone, but in a dimly-lit environment. Typically, to correct this problem the display's brightness control will be adjusted to make the picture brighter; however this may cause the picture to appear to be “washed out”. As discussed above, there are multiple combinations of wavelengths which can form the same color. Therefore, by determining a different wavelength combination for the same color, a user may view an accurate rendition of the image under a different ambient light.
Currently, there is a not a means, (manual, automatic, or otherwise) for a user to adjust the color gamut on a display to correct for change in the ambient light experienced by the display. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method that can automatically adjust the display color gamut to reflect a change in the ambient light conditions experienced by a display.